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The annual summer conference on Teaching Excellence was held in Nashville, Tennessee from June 26-28. As usual, it was an amazing conference filled with great presenters and great practical ideas for teachers and leaders. I had the distinct honor to present a session with Dr. Michael McDowell titled “Developing Leadership: Visible Learning Mind Frames”. Our session description was as follows:

Tamalpais Leadership Collaborative is a leadership model developed in 2010 that encourages all school members to model what is expected at each level of the organization to enhance the system wide academic performance of all students. Through this presentation, participants will learn how to embed Visible Learning mind frames and research across a school system, understand the implementation pathway (introduction, initiation, application, and capacity building) for the relational and tactical aspects of leadership development, and review implementation milestones and challenges associated with leadership work.

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The Tamalpais Union High School District is committed to providing meaningful, relevant and rigorous learning experiences for our students so they are prepared for college and career options. Student achievement data gives us insight into what is working and helps us to identify areas for continued growth. At TUHSD, we monitor many types of student data including state and national test scores as well as our own local measures of growth and proficiency. One data set of importance to staff and to our community is participation and success in our Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams. AP courses give students access to rigorous college-level work while in high school with the support of their high school teachers and peers. A passing score on an AP exam can give students college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college.

Participation in the TUHSD Advanced Placement program has grown tremendously over the past five years. In 2010, we administered 1,482 AP exams and this number has grown to 2,100 exams in 2014. This is a 42% increase! It is notable we have also maintained extremely high pass rates with scores significantly above state and national averages. In 2010, 83% of those who took an AP exam earned a passing score of a 3, 4 or 5. Similarly, in 2014, 84% of students who took an AP exam earned a passing score. The national average for students with a passing score is about 60%.

An abundance of research shows that a student’s experience with Advanced Placement is connected to success in college. A few interesting research highlights include:

Hargrove & Dodd (2007) found that students who successfully participated in at least one AP course and exam had higher college GPAs, earned more credit hours, and were more likely to graduate in four years than students from similar family economic status and with similar academic ability.

A study by Dougherty, Mellor &Jian (2005) found that students who scored a 3 or better on an AP exam were significantly more likely to graduate from college than their peers.

TUHSD currently offers course work to support 18 Advanced Placement exams. The programs with the largest number of participants are English Language and Composition, Calculus, Environmental Science, European History, and Biology.

Each Advanced Placement course is developed at the national level by a committee composed of college faculty and high school AP teachers, and covers the breadth of information, skills, and assignments found in the corresponding college course. AP courses at TUHSD are taught by our own highly qualified and talented teachers who participate in specific professional development so they are best equipped to teach students advanced, college level content.

The Advanced Placement program is just one more example of the rigorous programs offered for the students at TUHSD. For more information regarding course offerings at your school please contact your counselor or principal. For more information regarding the TUHSD Advanced Placement data, please contact Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Kim Stiffler, at kstiffler@tamdistrict.org

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Why is continuous improvement necessary?

It is a moral imperative to ensurethatall students are ready for life and employment in the 21st century.

In the information age and global economy, education is the prerequisite to most careers in growth industries; therefore, all students should be prepared and have the choice about what kind of post secondary education they will pursue. Some will pursue two year and four year college degrees and others will enter apprenticeship and job training programs. Students need to be prepared no matter, which they choose.

Even in the information age, students still must demonstrate proficiency in content in courses such Our mission requires that “all students demonstrate mastery of core competencies” and in order to fulfill that promise, staff must work together to identify these competencies, how to measure them, and must develop predictable, effective systems for students who need more time or support.

We have a professional responsibility to enhance our current instruction and assessment practices to meet recommendations outlined in current research and known best practices related to student achievement.

TUHSD has a persistent achievement gap – low socioeconomic and African American students have lower grades and test scores and are not likely to complete UC entrance requirements.75% of white students graduate from our schools eligible for UC entrance, as opposed to 30% of our African American students. Similarly, only 34% of low-income students are eligible for UC entrance, as opposed to 75% of non low-income students.(More information about the achievement gap is available in the TUHSD Achievement Report)

Minority students are significantly over represented in special education programs.

What work is currently being done to address these issues?

Professional staff members are working in teams to identify what all students should know and be able to do, to develop meaningful ways to measure student progress and systems to intervene when students need more time or support.

Teachers have identified “program goals” for each course or series of courses. Program goals are what students should know or be able to do as a result of taking a course. Administration has not told teachers what is essential in a course, teachers are collaboratively making decisions based on their content expertise and professional judgment.

Teachers are currently working on a meaningful system to assess students’ mastery of the program goals. These teacher-developed assessments will guide instruction and provide information about which students need extra help and which students are ready for enrichment.

Over the course of the next 18 months, site leaders, teachers and counselors will develop intervention plans so that students receive timely, targeted assistance when needed.

What is not true about the work in TUHSD?

The curriculum will be “cookie cutter.”

The truth is that teachers are determining essential skills that are important enough for all students to master. This will even out the playing field so that we know that when students finish one class, they are ready for the next. Essential skills don’t make up an entire curriculum of a course. Teacher choice remains for all other skills and activities.

Teacher creativity will be eliminated.

In fact, teacher creativity is essential to good instruction. Teachers will still be free to plan the activities and experiences that will move their students toward mastery of the program goals.

There will be fewer opportunities for high achieving students.

Again, just the opposite is true. The assessments will allow teachers to gather accurate information about student performance. Students who have masteredconceptsshould be provided opportunities to problem solve and to apply the concepts to novel situations.

Our system has become “top down”.

Teachers working together in teams will actually flatten the organization. Teams have empowered to collaboratively create and agree upon program goals and assessments. However, the “lone wolf” style of working by closing the classroom door and working in isolation is no longer an option.

The board and administrative team are committed to the Tam District mission statement;in fact, it is our moral imperative to ensure that all students are prepared for 21st century life.

We encourage our stakeholders to seek clarity about the true work of the district and not to be misled by those who seek to maintain the status quo. Good schools are not the best we can do, and business as usual is not good enough. We can ensure great outcomes for all our students by empowering our teachers to work in teams, to foster collaboration, and to learn from one another. Our students deserve nothing less.

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For the past several years, about 96% of Tamalpais Union High School District revenue has been generated locally through property tax, parcel tax and foundation fund raising. Community members are sometimes surprised to find out that only about 3% of our district revenue comes from state aid. This very low percentage is the result of cuts from the state of California during the years of the recent great recession.

It is important for our parents, staff and community to understand that despite the reports in the media about increases to school funding because of a new law known as the “Local Control Funding Formula” or “LCFF”, Tamalpais Union High School District will not experience an increase in state aid. The state revenue cuts we experienced during the recession will not be restored and our district will continue to rely almost exclusively on local funding. About 90% of the school districts in California will experience increases in state aid over the coming years due to the rather complicated new formula, which increases the amount of funding for low-income and English Language Learners. However, TUHSD is one of about 10% of school districts in California that will not see an increase in state revenue as a result of the “Local Control Funding Formula”.

One positive aspect of the new formula is that TUHSD will be “held harmless” at our 2012-2013 state aid level. In other words, the state cannot cut our funding even lower than they already have.

Another very interesting aspect of the “Local Control Funding Formula”law is that all districts, including those who receive no additional money, will be held accountable to the state laws through the creation and submission of “Local Control Accountability Plans”. Although the State Board of Education has not yet released the specific template, TUHSD will need to create a written plan that will include details of how we are spending locally generated money to increase the achievement of our low income and English Language Learner students. Fortunately, our district strategic plan addresses issues of student achievement and we already have plans in place to assist all students including those from low-income families and English Language Learners.

As more information about the “Local Control Accountability Plan” becomes available from the State Board of Education, it will be posted on the TUHSD website at www.tamdistrict.org

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Ask any almost anyone and they will tell you that completing college applications can be complicated and emotional for a variety of reasons. Students often report that the most anxiety inducing portion of the process involves the ACT and SAT exams. Both are nationally administered, standardized tests that help colleges evaluate students for admission. Both tests have been rites of passage for decades, but the landscape has changed and students can make a choice about which test to take.

Until recently, the college entrance test you took was based on your zip code. Students on the east and west coasts typically took the SAT and students in the middle of the country usually took the ACT. For most, there wasn’t much thought that went into the decision, you simply took the test you were told to take by the colleges in your geographic area. Times have changed dramatically and almost every college now accepts either test. In fact, colleges do not express a preference for one test over the other.

As illustrated in the chart below, more and more TUHSD students take the ACT every year and they are experiencing a great deal of success.

Grad Year

English Score

Math Score

Reading

Science

Composite

Total Tested

2010

26.3

26.2

26.1

24.6

25.9

375

2014

26.8

26.2

26.8

25.3

26.4

458

It’s also interesting to note that the California state average composite score was 22.2 in 2010 and 22.3 in 2014. Clearly, TUHSD students are performing far above state average and of even more significance; our students’ performance is improving at a rate that far exceeds the state.

What is the difference between the two tests?

There are many factors that distinguish the two tests from each other, but briefly, the ACT is an achievement test that measures the content taught in school. Success on the ACT is dependent on mastery of curriculum and therefore is closely tied to a student’s experience in their school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test and it measures reasoning and verbal abilities.

The ACT has five sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing Test. The SAT has three sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics and a required Writing Test.

How are the questions different on the ACT and SAT?

According the Princeton Review website, the ACT questions tend to be more straightforward and easier to understand on a first read. The SAT may require more time to think about a question prior to the formulation of a response. Furthermore, SAT penalizes for wrong answers, so guessing is discouraged. The ACT is scored based on the number correct answers with with no penalty for guessing.

Is there is difference in the length of the tests?

The ACT is 3 hours and 25 minutes including the optional Writing Test. The SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes.

How do students choose the best test?

The place to get great advice is from the TUHSD guidance counselors! This blog post barely scratches the surface of the complexities of both tests. Our counselors know our students on an individual basis as well as the ins and outs of both tests. They can help a student assess their strengths and weaknesses and make informed decisions about the entire college application process. Another great place to get advice is from the College and Career Counselors. They have access to a variety of resources such practice tests, information about specific colleges and universities, as well as processes sign up to take tests.

Who I am.

Educational leader, parent of two, and community volunteer.

About Laurie Kimbrel

The current project manager for the Atlanta K-12 Design Challenge, Laurie Kimbrel is an educator with many years’ experience. Before undertaking this position in 2015, Kimbrel served as Superintendent of the Tamalpais Union High School District in Larkspur, California, where she oversaw 4,200 students, 435 staff members, and managed a $63 million budget. Among other achievements under Laurie Kimbrel’s tenure, the district implemented a leadership model that formed Professional Learning Communities designed to augment teacher effectiveness through shared assessment data.

Kimbrel holds a bachelor of science in music and business from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. She also received a master of science in special education from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, and completed her education with leadership-based doctoral studies at Loyola University in Chicago.

Dedicated to her community, Laurie Kimbrel is a hospice volunteer and works with other community organizations aimed at ensuring every child has access to great teachers and schools. She is also passionate about education reform and champions efforts to bring about effective hiring and instructional practices in schools.